The Ukrainian Navy Is Strapping Dolphins With Guns To Attack Swimmers

The Navies of the world have long known how effective the sonar
of dolphins and sea lions can be at locating small underwater
objects.

The
U.S. Navy has a marine mammal program that's been teaching
underwater mammals how to locate marine mines, detonate, and even
prevent explosions since the 1950s. But this is the first time
we've heard of anything like the following story from the
Ukraine.

Russia's state-owned news agency Ria
Novosti says the Ukrainian navy is "bring[ing] back killer
dolphins," by training them to attack swimmers, but that's not
the unique part.

An unnamed source told Novosti that the Ukraine is now training
10 dolphins for underwater attacks against swimmers by using
knives and guns.

The killer-dolphins will be trained to attack enemy combat
swimmers using special knives or pistols fixed to their heads,
the source said. "We are now planning training exercises for
counter-combat swimmer tasks in order to defend ships in port and
on raids," he said.

The Navy actively used underwater mammals in Vietnam and to
support Bahrain missions in 1986 and points out the
U.S. has given 32 Dicken Medals in the course of its history
honoring animals in war.